Berkeley International Office's mission is to enhance the academic experiences of international students and scholars by providing the highest levels of knowledge and expertise in advising, immigration services, advocacy, and programming to the UC Berkeley campus community.

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Meet Our International Student Advisers

Meet your BIO International Student Advisers!

International Student Advisers are here to advise international students on immigration, personal, social, and cultural matters during their time here at UC Berkeley. We are here to serve as advocates to the university community and to help connect students to the correct resources around the community. We are also here to help university faculty and staff best serve our international student population. Learn more about us below!

How to Contact Us

Drop in from 10am-12pm or 1-4pm, Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, Friday (no Wednesdays) to see an Adviser.

Call us at 510.642.2818 for quick questions

Name

About Me

Liaison Units

Amy Veramay

Assistant Director for Student Services

I started at BIO in July 2012 and I'm originally from Michigan, but call Chicago home (go Cubs!). I speak English and basic French, and I have traveled to Kenya, Tanzania, Qatar, the United Arab Emirates, England, France, Northern Ireland, Scotland, Italy, Belgium, Jamaica, Spain, Croatia, and Slovenia. I also studied and worked in the Republic of Ireland.

After living abroad I knew I wanted to support students in their international pursuits. I returned to the US to obtain my Master's degree in Student Affairs in Higher Education from Colorado State University so I could pursue working in international education.

I am interested in international education, leadership, orientation, student activities and intercultural communication. I love to play and watch sports, especially baseball.

I started at BIO in July 2012 and I am from Fort Walton Beach, FL. I speak English, German, and Dutch, and I can talk about food or directions in Japanese and Korean. I have visited Mexico, the Bahamas, the Czech Republic, Italy, Hungary, Denmark, Belgium, Japan, Thailand and China. I have studied in the Netherlands and Germany, and I have lived in the Republic of Korea.

The experience of coming from an international family background, and having studied, lived, and traveled in different countries has been one of the primary shapers of my life. I feel lucky to have a job that I love, and one which enables me to continue being a part of a global community. Also, as a Floridian, I am grateful every day for the glorious Bay Area weather and the opportunities to explore the State of California's gorgeous landscapes.

I started at BIO in September 2016. I'm originally from the Toronto area, but spent my high school years in Florida, went to university in Montreal, and did my graduate studies in Austin, Texas, so I've experienced a lot of North America's diversity first-hand. I spent almost a decade living and working in Japan, which was a life-shaping experience, and I've traveled to India, Thailand, Cambodia, South Korea, England, France, Spain, Italy and Switzerland. I speak French, Japanese, Spanish, Bengali, and Italian, and can understand conversational Hindi.

My professional background is in ESL instruction. Languages and language instruction have always been passions of mine. Over the years, they dovetailed nicely with international education and cross-cultural exchange, and I've channeled my enthusiasm for teaching into my role as an advisor. BIO can be a great source of support for you during your time at UC Berkeley. Please drop by - I look forward to meeting you!

I started at BIO in March 2015 and originally hail from the great Lone Star State, or more specifically, San Antonio, TX. I have studied abroad in Sweden and Russia, as a high school student, university student, and after finishing my studies. I speak both Swedish and Russian, and am learning Serbian. I have traveled to most countries in western and northern Europe, as well as Canada, Estonia, Mexico, Puerto Rico, and Russia.

I am fortunate to have a diverse and international family, which originally inspired my interest in studying abroad. After benefiting from many international experiences, I am grateful to work with international students in the United States, both helping them make the most of their experience and continuing to learn about the world through them.

Professionally, I am interested in all aspects of international education, but am especially interested in cross-cultural communication and cultural adjustment, international exchange as public diplomacy, and expanding international education to under-served groups. I am excited to support the talented and diverse international student community here at Berkeley, and look forward to meeting you! ​ ​

I started at BIO in May 2017. I’m originally from Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia and have been in the United States since 2006. I first came over as an international student to pursue my undergraduate studies in Minnesota. During my time as a student, I obtained on-campus employment with event operations in the student union. It was this opportunity that connected me with students from all over the world and made me realize that I was really interested in cross-cultural exchange. I stayed on at the same institution in Minnesota for 6 years to obtain an undergraduate and graduate degree, at the same time leading the event operations team. Upon completion of the program, I changed career paths and pursued another graduate degree in Higher Education and Student Affairs from the University of Iowa.

I love to travel and see new sights, experience new cultures, try different food and connect with locals. I have traveled to Singapore, Australia, Hong Kong, England, S. Korea, Japan, Sri Lanka, and Nepal. Within the US, I have lived in Minnesota, Iowa, Hawaii, and finally California. My first language is English, however I can converse on basic levels in Malay, Cantonese, and Hakka.

Professionally, I am interested in intercultural communication, multiculturalism, and international student adjustment. I feel like I can connect with and help other international students as I was once in their shoes. I am excited to be at CAL and look forward to meeting you!

I started at BIO in June 2017 and am from Medford, OR. I speak English, Mandarin Chinese and a little German, and have lived in Sichuan, China for over a year. I've traveled to Vietnam, Germany, the Czech Republic, Austria, France, the Netherlands, England, Scotland, and Ireland.

I completed my undergraduate degree at Colorado College with a BA in international political economy, and later pursued a master's degree in international education management at the Middlebury Institute of International Studies. I'm very passionate about international education, and am so lucky to be able to work in a field that involves the sharing of knowledge and cultures. Within international education, I am particularly interested in the areas of mental health support, intercultural exchange, and campus internationalization. Personally, I am interested in rafting, hiking, and playing with my dog. Come drop by BIO to say hi!

Danai Sakutukwa

International Student Adviser

Hello! I started at BIO in January 2018. I was born In Zimbabwe, where my parents frequently hosted scholars from around the world in our home. My family also lived in Australia for 2 years, which made me aware of how big and exciting the world was at a very young age. In 2003, we relocated to the Bay Area, and I’ve called this amazing place home ever since!

Because of my travels as a child, I developed my professional interest in international relations and international education. Over the past few years, I’ve also had the opportunity to live, work, and study in Brazil and China. It’s been such an honor to see places and do things that many people only dream of. I’m also so grateful for all of the wonderful people I’ve encountered in all these experiences.

I have a genuine passion for the work I do at BIO. I genuinely want to support international students in their journey here, because I know how much I appreciated all the support I received when I lived and studied in different countries myself. It takes a lot of resilience and focus to endure the challenges of immigration, learning a new language, and general adjustment in the U.S. That being said, I also love chatting and getting to know them because they have an optimism, excitement, and adventurous spirit that inspires me to continue my work, and continue exploring not just the world, but the Bay Area itself. I’m very excited to be at BIO, and I look forward to connecting with the international community here!

Katherine Greco

International Student Adviser

Nice to meet you! I began working at BIO in September 2018. I was raised in Dallas, Texas and have since lived in several cities across the US. I speak conversational Japanese and have studied Spanish, French, Middle English and Ancient Greek.

After college, I spent two years teaching English in Shizuoka, Japan. After that, I returned to the US and taught English and ESL to high school and adult students. The most rewarding part of those years was working with international and immigrant students to support them both in the classroom and in the wider world. Little by little I transitioned out of the classroom and began working in student services to guide students through housing, college placement and visa issues.

Within the field of international education, I am particularly interested in inter-cultural communication, identity formation and student adjustment. It is a pleasure to work for Berkeley’s international students, and I look forward to meeting you soon.

Alethea Stoltzfus

International Student Adviser

Hi! I started working at BIO in January 2019. I’m originally from Lancaster, Pennsylvania, where I was actually homeschooled. I got my bachelor’s degree in English Language and Literature from Suffolk University in Boston. After my undergrad I did a Fulbright English Teaching Assistantship, and worked in international student services at an English language school.

I’ve lived in Italy, Germany, and France, and have traveled to 24 different countries in Europe! I just completed my master’s degree in International Education Management at the Middlebury Institute of International Studies, where I also studied French and worked at the Intensive English Programs.

I’m interested in cultural adjustment and re-entry, language learning, and different educational systems and cultures. In my free time I like to read, hike, take pictures with my Polaroid camera, and cook food and explore new restaurants (I love pho!).

Noelle Boucher

International Student Adviser

Hi there, I'm Noelle! I started at BIO in February 2019 and I am originally from the Bay Area. I graduated from California State University Chico where I got my BA in Special Education. During my undergrad I studied abroad in Madrid, Spain. I loved Madrid so much that I returned there to teach English for three years! After my time in Spain, I pursued a Master’s Degree in International Education Management at the Middlebury Institute of International Studies in Monterey, California. During this degree, I also had the opportunity to work in the international education field in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. After Malaysia, I worked at an Intensive English Program for international students doing admissions and student services.

In the field of international education, I am interested in cultural-adjustment and coordinating programs and events that support the needs of internationals students. My passion is helping individuals in their education abroad experiences so I am so happy to be a part of the BIO team! Outside of BIO, my hobbies are exercising, playing badminton, exploring new restaurants, and of course, traveling. I have been to 25 countries in Europe and 6 countries in Asia. Looking forward to meeting you!